Congee, Shi-Fan (literally, rice water) or Jook. Whatever name you give it, rice porridge has been the foundation of nutritional healing since…well, we started playing with fire and cooking. It is my first recommendation for anyone who is weak or ill, whether young or old.
Congee is a eaten by millions as a breakfast food. The simple gruel is served with a variety of side dishes, shredded vegetables and fish, shredded meats and pickles.

Besides being a great morning start, congee is a fantastic healing food.

It’s just rice and water or broth. Perhaps another ingredient is added to added to create a specific result. Sounds boring right? However, sometimes simplicity is the best approach to healing. I always consider the client’s digestive vitality first in any treatment. If they have problems absorbing nutrients for whatever reason, be it illness, chemo or radiation treatment or constitutional weakness, they will not transform the food they eat into healing nutrient qi. In these cases, simple foods cooked for a long period place less of a burden on the digestive system.

Who can benefit from congee?

Anyone. I’ve seen it work wonders with toddlers on acid reflux medicines to seniors battling dementia, those going through chemo and radiation to those just fighting the common cold. There is no magic, it is just simplicity.

Healing benefits of congee

Rice is neutral to warming, there are over 8 thousand varieties of rice and very few people are allergic to rice. If you are someone avoiding gluten…use a gluten free rice. Rice tonifies the Qi and Blood and harmonizes the Middle Burner (your digestive system), the Stomach and the Spleen. Water balances our PH, detoxes and nourishes Yin. The rest of the recipe is up to […]

Summer cooking at its best is easy, colorful and uncomplicated. Ratatouille makes the most of the season’s vegetables like tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. This grilled version can be prepared in two ways. The vegetables are first grilled and you then dress them right at the table and serve them immediately or you finish marrying their flavors over the stove top. Both are delish–it’s just a matter of choice. I tend to prefer the first method, as it’s simpler and doesn’t heat up the kitchen.

Double this recipes or toss leftovers with cooked quinoa and a little extra dressing (if necessary) for a light, high protein dish. […]

We thank Soraya Maleki Spence, who used to work at Pulse, for this fantastic recipe. A traditional soup served at Nowruz-the Persian New Year in the March and represents new life and longevity. I prepped this for the website several years ago and I’ll be honest… it makes a fabulous breakfast.Ash-e-reshteh (Persian New Year Noodles With Beans) – – chickpeas (washed and soaked overnight), kidney beans (washed and soaked overnight), fava beans (washed and soaked overnight), dry lentils (rinsed and drained), yellow onions, olive oil, garlic, tumeric (ground), mint leaves (minced or torn), thin egg noodles (broken into thirds), leafy greens (spinach or chard) (stemmed and coarsely chopped), dill leaves (minced), cilantro (minced), parsley or flat-leaf parsley (minced), plain, unsweetened yogurt, chicken or vegetable stock, sea salt, Peel and dice one of the onions. In a large pot over medium-high heat 4 T. of olive oil. Add onion and saute until onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse chickpeas, kidney and fava beans. Add beans to the onion along with 4 minced cloves of garlic, the turmeric and the lentils. Sauté for 1 minute then add the stock and bring to a boil. Boil, covered for 1 hour. Loosen lid on the pot, so the pot is partially covered and continue simmering the stock and beans for 1 1/2 hours more, stirring occasionally. Season with salt.; Peel and slice the remaining onions into thin half moon shapes. In a large skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil over high heat. Add in the onions and sauté, stirring frequently until caramelized. Add in remaining garlic and mint and sauté for […]

Clafoutis, a dish popularized in America by Julia Child, are easy to make and endless in variety (see notes). Just think of them as mini quiches without the crust. These clafoutis make lovely items for spring brunches as they can be eaten hot or at room temperature. They are also great little after-school nibble or to pack for a picnic.

This recipe comes from Daverick Legget’s book Recipes for Self-Healing. The following is his intro to the soup.

The art of making a good onion soup is to cook the onions slowly, preferably in a heavy cast iron pot. Beef stock is more traditional than the miso suggested in this recipe and may be substituted if preferred. Served with a good hunk of crusty bread it is almost irresistible.

Europeans have a long used fruits in soups. It’s more than an elegant dessert or appetizer, it’s a fantastic way to use up summer’s abundance or ‘less than perfect’ fruit. This soup is wonderful with fresh or frozen cherries. You can use dried cherries in a pinch, but reduce the sugar and increase your simmering time until the cherries are soft–enjoy!